


when i loved you

by SmittyJaws



Series: R2J AU [5]
Category: Led Zeppelin, Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Asexual Character, Bisexual Male Character, Established Relationship, Fluff, Light Angst, Multi, Pining, Polyamory, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:22:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24341998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmittyJaws/pseuds/SmittyJaws
Summary: When did they all realize they were in love?
Relationships: Robert Plant/Original Female Character(s), Robert Plant/Roger Taylor/Original Female Character(s), Roger Taylor (Queen)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: R2J AU [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1757326
Kudos: 5





	when i loved you

**Author's Note:**

> This is set in my R2J AU, which is Roger Taylor x Robert Plant x Jay Marin (my ace!OFC). Originally written in December for my Advent fic calendar on Tumblr.

Roger realizes that he loves Jay and Robert at the halfway mark of their bet. There’s been plenty of little moments that have made his breath catch or his heart race, but he doesn’t realize how truly deep he’s in this self-made emotional pit. He’s still kind of hoping he can shove this all down; pretend it doesn’t exist and go back to the way he was living his life before, not worrying about creeping out his friends and pining over something he couldn’t have.

And then the whole group opts to go out for a cheap pub night and karaoke. Nothing different than their usual collective nights out, but it’s so much more loaded when he’ll invariably be made to get up and sing _You’re The One That I Want_ with Robert, or some other equally embarrassing couples’ song.

But then he ends up being surprised; what does him in isn’t some typical duet song (though it’s equally cheesy). Jay and Robert’s names are called up on the sign up sheet, and the two of them have shit-eating grins on their faces as they head up.

Roger’s wary. Looks like that can’t ever be good.

Then a familiar set of notes from a flute kick in, and there’s a loud collective groan from the entire pub as the two of them start singing _My Heart Will Go On_.

This is it. Roger’s gone to relationship hell. This is his punishment for not being able to sort out his own goddamn emotions; listening to the world’s worst karaoke song, and having to watch the two people he likes be the ones to put him through this torment. He almost wants to go outside and use this time to have a smoke; he knows they won’t necessarily care, and then he won’t have to watch the two of them torture him with this godawful song.

Sure enough, the rendition is _terrible_ , and they’re going out of their way to deliberately make it so: giggling and snickering and overdramatically singing their hearts out to the shitty karaoke backing track.

But then he finds himself tuning out the song and just paying attention to Jay and Robert, goofing around and having the time of their lives, and it hits him; he’s in _love_.

He wants to see them like this all the time; happy, carefree, laughing over silly things, and he wants to be the one to put smiles like that on their faces. The song is obnoxious and the singing is intentionally terrible and overbearing, but they’re happy and that’s what he wants from a relationship with them.

The song ends and Roger watches them return to their seats, accompanied by groans and boos from their friends, and like that, the spell is broken.

If only the idea of them both loving him back wasn’t such a pipe dream…

——

Jay realizes that she’s in love at the five month mark of their bet; or rather, the one month mark of their relationship. She’d been hesitant at first, the idea of dating two people she’d never be able to bring home to her parents (for multiple reasons) a terrifying one, and she knows she’s been the most reticent about moving things forward.

And yet, they’re nothing but respectful. They talk a lot about boundaries; about what they’re all comfortable or uncomfortable with. There’s no touching beyond what’s been pre-discussed — no actions besides what they’ve said is explicitly okay, and Jay feels a swell of affection at that.

It was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened, though; that one of them would suggest sharing a bed.

She’s nervous as she gets ready. She’s fallen asleep on them before when watching movies, but this is different. They weren’t her boyfriends then. She wasn’t part of this… trio, triad, _something_ , then and there were no expectations.

When she gets to the bedroom, she finds that the other two have managed to manhandle Robert’s bed into Roger’s room, pushing them together to form one big bed (with barely any space for anything else in the room, but that’s neither here nor there). They’ve kind of tossed blankets and pillows onto it into some kind of approximation of three-way sleeping arrangements and are now just awaiting her expectantly.

She wonders how they plan to do this.

It turns out they’d both like to hold her, and surprisingly, instead of the expected moment of terror at the idea of being in the middle, surrounded that way, Jay gets a warm fluttery feeling inside at the idea of being kept safe and protected as she sleeps.

The feeling only intensifies as they lie down and arrange themselves in the bed, both of them keeping a respectful enough distance (Jay knows it’s partially to keep her from overheating, but still) as she settles herself in the middle.

Somehow this isn’t nearly as worrying as she thought it would be, and she soon finds herself growing progressively sleepier, cozy and flanked by her boyfriends. Reflexively, she finds herself reaching out and taking one of their hands each in hers, wanting to have some kind of connection and knowing they’re probably feeling just as awkward about this as she is.

Both of them give a gentle squeeze back in turn as they lace their fingers with hers but make no other move, and Jay feels that warm swell of affection again; the one that pops up every time she feels so cared for with no expectations to give more than she’s able. Then she realizes what that feeling of affection is; she loves them.

She’s nearly gone now, almost succumbed to the pull of sleep, but now that she’s had this revelation she _needs_ them to know. “Love y’both,” she whispers. “‘M f’ckin’ this up b’cause ‘m half ‘sleep, but I wanted y’ t’know.”

There’s no verbal response, but Jay can feel both hands being squeezed again, and she drifts off to sleep feeling more content than she has in a while.

She’s feeling a lot more confident about the remainder of this trial period for the relationship now.

——

Robert didn’t think he’d be the last one to realize that he loves his partners. Or rather, he assumed he’d go and blurt it out far too early, and ruin everything (according to some of his past dates), so he’s been keeping a tight lid on that. He can’t afford to fuck this up; not if he wants to salvage his friendships afterward if this all goes south.

So he doesn’t let himself get carried away.

He allows himself to feel affection; to enjoy the ability to unabashedly ogle Roger while Queen plays a concert, to hold hands with Jay while they go out grocery shopping, to enjoy having both partners lean on him while watching Netflix together. But he doesn’t let himself get lost in the feeling.

He wants to. God, he wants to. But he has a bad tendency to fall too hard too fast, so he lets himself like them; enjoy the warm fuzzy feelings of a crush, without letting himself topple over the precipice.

But life has a funny way of creeping up on him, and the closer they get to the two month “trial period” deadline, the more he realizes he’s still falling just as hard… but this time, it’s not so bad, because he knows he won’t crash. Not with Roger and Jay there to catch him.

He thought he’d be able to make a more eloquent declaration of his feelings, but when it comes down to it, the words fail him. He’s lying in bed between his two partners, awake first (as usual), and there’s just such an ache in his chest as he watches them sleep, peacefully curled into his sides without a care in the world.

He wants to tell them he loves them. That he wants to spend weeks, months, _years_ , even — waking up beside them and having them with him. But the words don’t come, clogged in his throat by sheer emotion, so he kisses them instead.

It’s nothing special; just a chaste kiss on the tops of both their heads, but it’s enough to rouse them, sleepy smiles and half-lidded eyes greeting him.

“G’mornin’, Sunrise,” Roger murmurs, arm around Robert’s waist tightening slightly before leaning in to kiss his cheek. “What’re you thinkin’ about?”

Robert wants to answer; really he does. But his brain is short-circuiting from the warm feeling that casual intimacy gives him, and all he can manage is a stammered, “Uh. I— well, y’know…”

“Think you broke ‘im, Rog.” On his other side, Jay sounds amused. “Or maybe ‘e’s not as awake as we think.”

Then she tilts her head up and kisses him too, and that does it — all rational thought goes out the window. He’s fully aware that he’s blushing like an awkward teenager at this point, but he thinks he’s entitled to; he’s in love and he doesn’t care who knows it anymore.

There’s no words that can encompass the depth of what he’s feeling anymore — least of all after those kisses — so he just pulls them as closely as he can, wanting to savour this moment forever. Roger and Jay snuggle up in response, and Robert sighs contentedly as he feels himself growing drowsy again.

He loves them, and he knows they love him just as much in return. With any luck, he’ll have many more times to share moments like this with them in the future, but for now, he’s content to just enjoy this time, sleeping with his partners.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm also @smittyjaws on Tumblr!


End file.
